Chaeles baumeistee



(No Model.)

0. BAUMEISTER.

MUSIC RACK FOR PIANOS.

No. 313,647. Patented Mar. 10, 1885.

INVENTOR:

BY W my ATTORNEYS.

UNrrnD ST TES PATENT @FFIQE.

CHARLES BAUMEISTER, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTUS BAUS &(10., OF SAME PLACE.

MUSIC-RACK FOR PlANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,647, dated March10, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BAUMEISTER, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved Music- Rack, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in themusic racks or desks on upright pianos, organs, &c.; and the object ofmy invention is to facilitate the ad justment of the rack or desk foruse.

The invention consists in the combination, with a piano-casing, of arack hinged at its top to the front of the casing, and of a slat adaptedto swing downward and outward from the front of the casing and form asupport for the bottom of the rack. The rack is held in place by a latchwhen closed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of my improved music-rack,showing it closed or folded against the front of the piano. Fig. 2 is across-sectional view of the same, the rack being swung out or opened.

The music rack or desk A [its within an opening, B, in the front 0 ofthe casing of an upright piano, theedges of the racks being rabbeted, asshown, so that part of the rack will rest on the front of the casing tocause a better fit and give a more elegant finish.

From the top of the rear surface of the rack Atwo or more curved arms,D, project upward and above the top edge of the opening B. The upperends of the arms D are hinged to the rear surface of the front 0 in sucha manner that the lower edge of the rack can be swung outward, as shownin Fig. 2. A slat, E, is provided with a flange or offset, F, along theback edge and on its upper surface, and the said slat is secured at itsflanged edge on the ends of a U-shaped wire frame, G, held to turn inbrackets H on the inner surface of the front 0 at the lower edge ofopening B. The slat E can also be secured to single arms, rods, or wireshinged on the inner surface of the front (J in such a manner that theyand the slat E can swing down and out of the opening B. One or moresprings, J, are secured to the inner surface of the front G at thebottom edge of the opening 13, the said springs projecting upward andbeing of such length that their free ends rest against the slat E whenthe same is raised, as shown in Fig. 1. Pieces of leather or felt aresecured on the ends of the springs to prevent scratching of the slat E.One or more pieces of felt are secured on the back of the desk A, onwhich pieces the slat E can slide withoutscratching the edge of theslat. A latch, L, is held in the front 0 in such a manner that itsbeveled edge projects from the bottom edge of the opening B, the latchbeing adapted to catch on a slotted plate on the bottom edge of therack. A push pin or button, M, for operating the latch projects from thefront 0 of the pinno-case.

The operation is as follows: When the rack is not in use-that is, whenit is closedit is locked in place by the latch L, and the slat E restsagainst the back of the rack andispressed against it by the spring J. Ifthe rack is to be used, the button M, acting on the latch, is pushedinward, whereby the bottom edge of the rack is disengaged, and then thespring or springs J press the slat E outward and swing it downward, asindicated by the arrow a. The outer edge of the stat E slides along theinner surface of the rack and swings the lower end of the rack outward,as indicated by the arrow Z), until the outer edge of the slat E passesund er the bottom edge of the rack, when the bottom part of the rackswings in the inverse direction of the arrow 1) against the flange F ofthe slat E, and is thus held open. If the rack or desk is to be closed,the lower edge of the desk is swung a short distance beyond the outeredge of the slat E, and the slat E is swung up in the inverse directionof the arrow to, and the rack is swung into the opening B in the inversedirection of the arrow Z) and locked in place by latch L.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claiin as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. --The combination, with the casing C of anupright piano, provided with an opening,

B, of a musie-raek hinged at the upper edge to the upper side of theopening to swing outward, and a slat having arms hinged at their lowerends to the lower wall of the opening, separate from and in rear of therack, the said slat being constructed to support the music in the rackwhen said rack and slat are swung outward, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the casing 0 of an upright piano, having anopening, B, of a musicraek hinged at its upper edge to the upper side ofthe opening to swing outward, a music-supporting slat having arms hingedat their lower ends to the lower side of the opening in rear of therack, and a spring so cured to the casing below and in rear of the rackfor throwing the same outward, the said slat being adapted to holdengaged the rear lower edge of the rack when thrown outward and hold thesame in position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a piano-casing a spring for throwing the rackand slat ontward, and means for locking the rack in place in the openingof the piano-easing, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination, with the casing of a piano, having an opening, B, inits front, of the music desk or rack A, the arm D, secured to the top ofthe rack and hinged on the inner surface ofthc front, the slat E, havinga flange, F, the frame G, hinged to the casing and car rying on its freeends the slat E, the spring J, and a latch for holding the rack withinthe opening B, substantially as herein shown and 40 described.

5. The combination, with a piano-casing, of a music-rack hinged at itstop to the front of the casing, a slat in rear of the rack, hinged atthe lower ends of its arms to the front of the casing to swing downward,and adapted to be held behind the rack when the same is closed, and of alatch for locking the rack in place when the same is closed,substantially as herein shown and described.

CHARLES BAUMEISTER. Witnesses:

AUoUstrUs Bans, J. H. Crinrs'un.

